One Of The Leaders of ‘Jazeera’ Telegram Channel Jailed for Four Years

One of the administrators of the ‘Jazeera’ Telegram channel — accused of money laundering and promoting sex trafficking — has been sentenced to four years in prison, in what authorities describe as part of the largest online criminal network ever uncovered in the Maldives.

Ibrahim Rasheed (Dhaftharu 12966) received separate sentences after confessing to the charges and reaching a plea agreement with the state. According to the Criminal Court, Rasheed was sentenced to two years and six months for money laundering and one and a half years for facilitating sex trafficking. After accounting for time already served, he must serve a total of two years, eight months and 13 days.

advertisement

advertisement

advertisement

The court also ordered Rasheed to pay a fine of MVR 463,637.61 within 60 days for the money laundering offence.

The Prosecutor General’s Office (PG) had earlier confirmed the two more charges but did not clarify whether additional charges were dropped under the agreement — a process that typically offers some leniency in exchange for a guilty plea.

In addition to Rasheed, two other individuals have been charged in connection with the same Telegram network; their cases remain ongoing at court.

The case follows an investigation announced by law enforcement on 17 March 2024 into several Telegram channels, including ‘Jazeera Admin’, ‘Jazeera Girls’ and ‘Jazeera Link Habar’. According to authorities, these channels, active since April 2024, attracted more than 7,000 followers, including both Maldivians and foreigners.

Authorities have described the network as the largest of its kind ever identified in the Maldives, highlighting concerns over how encrypted messaging platforms are increasingly used to promote and profit from criminal activities such as sex trafficking.